Tailormade Sabah Naturewatch TMBO1

Tailormade Sabah Naturewatch

Experience Borneo in the company of orang-utans, long-nosed proboscis monkeys and a collection of fascinating species; on this trip you’ll visit Borneo’s best-loved wildlife hotspots. Then, survey the rich jungle lowlands below from atop Mount Kinabalu – South East Asia’s highest peak.

Enriching tailormade journeys – for you

This bespoke journey features some of our favourite spots in Borneo. You can choose to take our destination experts’ recommendations and travel just as you see the itinerary here, or contact us to add your own special touches; maybe a beach extension to recover after your climb or a stay in a traditional longhouse. We’re here to design your perfect holiday. Call us on 0844 875 1897.

Tailormade Sabah Naturewatch - Comfort Version

1Fly to Borneo

Depart the UK for your flight to Borneo.

Included Meals: None

2Arrive Sepilok

Arrive in Sandakan and drive to Sepilok. See the orang-utans being fed in one of the world’s largest rehabilitation centres. Covering over 4,000 hectares of forest, the centre was established in 1964 to rehabilitate captured, injured or abandoned apes. The animals are taught how to make nests and how to survive in their natural habitat.

Overnight: Sepilok Nature Resort
Included Meals: None

3Jungle Walks

This morning you have a second visit to see the adorable orang-utans at Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre. Alternatively visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre where you can walk among the tree-tops on a canopy walkway, great for bird spotting and photography; there is also a Plant Discover Garden and many jungle trails to explore. This afternoon you continue to Sukau and take a sunset river trip through the freshwater swamp forest. The freshwater swamp forest around Sukau is home to myriad wildlife such as tree snakes, and birds such as frogmouth, bulbul and hornbill.

Overnight: Bilit Rainforest Lodge
Included Meals: Breakfast Dinner

4Kinabatangan River

Cruise through the oxbow lakes of the Kinabatangan River. On your cruise this afternoon, you may see crocodiles and some of the other birdlife such as egret, storm’s stork, oriental darter and oriole. As the sun starts to go down, you could spot long-nosed proboscis monkeys which converge on treetops by the river banks to settle for the night.

5Kinabalu National Park

Depart Sukau for Kinabalu National Park, with a stop at the famous Poring Hot Springs. The springs are located in tropical lowland forest, dense with vegetation and thick bamboo. You can cross a tree top walkway 60m above the forest floor or perhaps you prefer to take a relaxing soak in a hot spring bath, looking out for hornbills, mynah birds and monkeys. The rafflesia grows in the forest – it’s the largest flower in the world, producing a red bloom over one metre wide but which lasts for just one week. Afterwards, continue to your lodges for the night.

Overnight: Kinabalu Park Lodge
Included Meals: Breakfast Dinner

6Climb Mount Kinabalu

Begin the climb of Mount Kinabalu through tropical vegetation and rainforest to a mountain hostel. The lower part of the trek is through dense tropical vegetation and mist-shrouded rainforest with giant ferns, luxuriant mosses, rare orchids and brightly-coloured butterflies. You’ll continue to climb upwards for five to six hours; the mountain hostel is situated at 3272m.

Overnight: Mountain hostel
Included Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

7Summit Kinabalu

Rise at 3am for the final push to the summit of Mount Kinabalu and watch the sun rise over the jungle lowlands. The view from the top of Mount Kinabalu (4095m) is breath-taking. After descending the mountain you transfer to Kota Kinabalu.

Overnight: Promenade Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast Lunch

8Explore Kota Kinabalu

Known locally as KK, Kota Kinabalu is a burgeoning city with a blend of Malays, Europeans and Chinese: the result is a unique mixture of architecture, culture, high technology and ancient traditions. Today is free for you to explore at your leisure.